396 Domestication of certain Ruminants and Aquatic Birds. [June, 
ing which they require—most probably the former. And hence I 
think that closer confinement will promise better results. 
I added seven more antelope (Antilocapra americana) to my 
grounds, but all died in the course of the summer. Indeed all 
my experiments with ruminants, fera nature, whose natural habi- 
tation is confined to the United States, west of the Missouri river, 
have proved failures. 
_ About two years since I received a mountain sheep (Ovis mon- 
tanus\—a female, from General Miles, stationed at Fort Keogh, and 
in the spring following another (a young male), but in spite of every 
possible care, both have died with much the same complaints as 
the mule and Columbia deer. In less than a month after arrival 
diarrhcea set in and though arrested repeatedly it would always 
return. The male survived scarcely six months, the female 
nearly two years, but she grew but little and scarcely ever seemed 
well. - 
My Virginia deer continue to reduce in numbers till now I have 
not more than fifteen, though these seem to be vigorous and per- 
fectly healthy, yet not prolific. I have turned my attention to 
hybridizing them with the Ceylon deer and the Acapulco deer (C. 
acapulcensis), which with the hybrids seem to be perfectly healthy 
and prolific. I think it remarkable that these small species of 
deer, from such great distances and warm countries, should be so 
hardy and prolific here—most of the thorough-bred does have 
had two fawns this year, and several of the hybrids to this buck 
brought from Acapulco have two fawns and all perfectly healthy. 
I consider these small deer a great acquisition. On some of the 
hybrids the metatarsal gland is wanting and on some it is present, 
while some will have it on one hind leg and not on the other. 
My elk (C. canadensis), continue to do well and are so prolific 
that I have had repeatedly to reduce their number, and would be 
glad now to dispose of at least thirty. I have on an average about 
one old buck a year killed in battle, and sometimes another by 
some casualty, but all are healthy. Mine grow very large, and of 
all the Cervidze they seem best adapted to domestication. _ 
You mention among your other species of deer Cervus leucurus. 
After much study, I came to the conclusion that the C. /eucurus 
was but a variety of C. virginianus and so stated in my work. 
My efforts to acclimatize ornithological specimens have been 
interesting. The Canada goose (Bernicla canadensis), are Very 
